Chen Mingyu was using every skill at her disposal to please Her Majesty the Empress. The vermillion beauty mark between her brows made her appear even more ethereal and transcendent due to her shallow smile, like the dragon maiden beneath Guanyin’s seat—appearing auspicious and comfortable just to look at.

Any elder of some years couldn’t help but love her appearance. Even the gentlemen of the Imperial Observatory said that a single vermillion beauty mark between the brows was truly the physiognomy of wealth and honor.

She had never taken these people’s words to heart before, only thinking they spoke nonsense—her grandfather was an Elder and important minister with illustrious power and authority, so naturally she had a wealthy and noble fate. But ever since Song Chuyi had been pronounced to have the fate of a lone star of calamity, she began believing again. She now felt that her own fate was innumerably more noble than that jinx Song Chuyi’s fate, and even in front of others, she felt her spine straighten a bit more.

At this moment, she was holding a wolf-hair brush, meticulously hand-copying the “Chapter on the Perfect Penetration of Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva Through Mindfulness of the Buddha” for Her Majesty the Empress, writing each stroke with extreme care.

Even Xie Siyi couldn’t help but smile and praise her to Her Majesty the Empress: “For such a young girl, there aren’t many who can be as composed as Miss Chen.”

Her Majesty the Empress also smiled, two shallow dimples appearing on her cheeks. Good family background, understanding of propriety and restraint, attractive appearance—at a glance, she was clearly a dignified and steady young lady from a great house. And with the Imperial Observatory having calculated her fate, she was indeed a good choice.

The atmosphere in the hall was pleasant when Lanzhi hurried in from outside the hall and softly spoke a few words before Her Majesty the Empress. The Empress’s gaze suddenly sharpened. She rose abruptly and instructed Xie Siyi to change her clothes.

Chen Mingyu rarely saw Her Majesty the Empress change expression and for a moment almost couldn’t react. When she did react, she hastily prostrated herself on the ground.

The Empress’s anger was difficult to conceal. She pressed her lips together and called for her to rise, her face once again assuming its customary gentle smile: “Good child, I’ve frightened you. Quickly rise. This palace has some matters to attend to. You just stay here and copy the sutras. When you’ve finished, I’ll have someone escort you out.”

Chen Mingyu respectfully acknowledged this and waited with lowered brows and eyes as Her Majesty the Empress left. She picked up her brush and continued meticulously copying her sutras—whatever matter could make Her Majesty the Empress so furious had to involve either Her Highness the Princess or His Highness the Crown Prince. In any case, it had nothing to do with her. Right now, she should wholeheartedly copy sutras to pray for blessings for the Crown Prince.

Consort Xian had never anticipated that the group left behind by Prince Duan would fail. Just as Yuanhui had told her, this group were all people Prince Duan had left in the capital as a precaution—each one comparable to the Imperial Guard. Yet such a group had actually failed! They were merely dealing with a twelve-year-old young girl, yet they had actually failed!

She clenched her fists, her long nails dyed bright red with balsam directly piercing into the arm of the steward who came to report the news. She practically screeched at her hoarsely: “You’re lying! Lying!”

How was this possible? No matter how capable that girl from the Song family was, she couldn’t truly be a demon reincarnated, could she?

“It’s true…” The steward felt that her arm had probably been scratched bloody by Consort Xian’s sharp nails, but didn’t dare cry out in pain. She kept kowtowing to the ground: “His Highness the Grand Heir and Second Young Master Ye were also there… I don’t know who provided the faulty intelligence. Both His Highness the Grand Heir and Second Young Master Ye had skilled fighters with them…”

Consort Xian’s eyes widened. She only felt this matter becoming more and more bizarre. What Grand Heir? How had this matter suddenly involved His Highness the Grand Heir?

She hadn’t yet had time to continue grabbing the person to question them clearly when the hall doors were pushed open. Eunuch Xia, wearing a smile, first leisurely paid his respects. Turning a blind eye to her current state, he requested her presence at Taiji Hall: “His Majesty awaits you.”

Consort Xian instinctively sensed danger, but she had no time at all to prepare. She was caught completely off guard and stunned in place by Princess Rongcheng’s words.

Song Chuyi had actually met with trouble at Princess Rongcheng’s residence?! How exactly had that group handled this matter?! How could they have chosen Princess Rongcheng’s place to strike?!

Princess Rongcheng’s tears hung from her lashes as she grasped Emperor Jianzhang’s hand and choked out: “Father Emperor, your subject merely had some dispute with Consort Xian over Ninth Sister’s matter. But your subject thought it was just some small dispute—how could I have imagined that Consort Xian actually wanted me dead…”

Emperor Jianzhang pressed his lips together and coolly raised his head to glance at Consort Xian, lifting his chin toward her: “What do you have to say?”

What did she have to say? Consort Xian only felt her mind in complete chaos. Could she say that the people she sent weren’t meant to kill that fool Rongcheng at all, but rather to kill Song Chuyi?! Her complexion alternated between pale and green, the veins below her neck protruding one by one.

The Empress hadn’t entered. After standing at the entrance for a long while, she still turned to return to Qingning Hall.

This was not wanting to put him in a difficult position, knowing that Consort Xian was after all an old person who had emerged from his former residence, knowing he had always cherished old sentiments. Emperor Jianzhang couldn’t help but let out a long sigh. All these years, Consort Xian had relied on the Crown Prince’s poor health to make plenty of small moves below. He too, out of genuine worry for the Crown Prince’s health, had turned a blind eye. But the more the Empress and Eastern Palace yielded, the more they grew increasingly aggressive.

Now, over just a few words of dispute, she dared send people to assassinate—and was bold enough to directly break into Rongcheng’s residence. Fortunately, Weizhao always had people with him when going out. Otherwise, if it had affected Weizhao…

Emperor Jianzhang didn’t even want to look at Consort Xian again. He rose abruptly and looked at her coldly: “After Ninth Sister married, your health has been continuously poor. You’d best move to Jinshen Hall to recuperate.”

Consort Xian’s face instantly turned deathly pale. Kneeling on the ground, tears fell like rain. She still wanted to ask Yuanhui how such an inferior mistake had occurred. She still wanted to find another way to fulfill Princess Nine’s wish. But now Emperor Jianzhang didn’t even have anyone interrogate her further—he directly cast her into the cold palace. What kind of place was Jinshen Hall? If she went there, in less than a few days she would probably “die of illness.”

After finishing copying the sutras, Chen Mingyu was personally led by Lanzhi and escorted out of the palace gates. Returning to the manor, she changed clothes and immediately went first to pay respects to Old Madam Chen.

Third Madam Chen’s willow-leaf brows were inverted, her manner appearing extremely indignant yet not daring to speak her anger.

Chen Mingyu didn’t even glance at her. Third Madam Chen was resentful that she could enter the palace to copy sutras for Her Majesty the Empress, but didn’t consider that her own husband was merely concubine-born.

Old Madam Chen first dismissed Third Madam Chen before looking toward Chen Mingyu and asking her: “Why did you return earlier today?”

Chen Mingyu softly recounted how Her Majesty the Empress had gone to Taiji Hall midway: “I fear His Highness the Crown Prince has awakened, or perhaps some incident occurred. In any case, looking at Xie Siyi’s expression, it didn’t seem to be a small matter. Even Her Majesty the Empress’s complexion was rarely somewhat unpleasant.”